Support for foot covering



G. E. BRIGGS SUPPORT FOR FOOT COVERING Filed April 11. 1921 Federated Apr. 8, 1924.

STTES PAT s N T ri SUPPORT FOR FOOT COVERING.

Application filed April 11, 1921. Serial No. 460,179.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that- I, GRACE E. Bnress, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Supports for Foot Covering, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to supports for foot wear, being particularly adaptable to lowquarter shoes, pumps, slippers and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a support which is of simple construction andeasy application, to be applied to the rear or heel portion of the shoe to securely hold such portion thereof in proper position upon the heel of the wearer, preventing slippage which always occurs at such portion of the shoe when low cut shoes are worn, whichadds to the appearance and attractiveness of the foot, which prevents up and down slippage of the support on the,

, slipper into a fancyslipper, which obviates the necessity of wrapping ribbon around the ankle, common in the use of ballet slippers, which provides a substantial support for the arch of the foot, and which effectively braces the ankle.

With these and other objects in view, the

tabs 9 will be similarly connected beneath invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the use of a support device constructed in accordance with the invention, thedevioe being shown as applied to a foot having a conventional type of low-quarter shoe thereon,

Figure 2 is a similar view and illustrating a slightly modified form of the device,

Figure 3 is a similar view showing a further modified form of the device,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a support involving a still further modification,

the support being removed from the shoe and foot,

. Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l and showing a still further modification, and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the support of the type shown in Figure 2 as it will appear when spread out.

The device of my invention comprises a support including the-body portion 7 of a size and of such shape as tofit snugly around the heel portion of the slipper and terminating at its upper edge. in substantially the same plane with the upper-edge of the slipper. This body embraces the heel portion of the shoe and is open at its lower end. as at 7, to permit of the heel 8 of the shoe extending through, and an arch piece 9 connects the side portions of the body .7 and bridges the arch, thereby constituting a support for the latter. To the upper forward portion of one side of body 7 is-applied a button 10 adapted to be engaged through a suitable button-hole in the free end of a tab or strap 11 connected at its inner end to the forward upper edge of the opposed side portion of the body '7. The strap or tab 11 will beof such length as to extend properly across the instep of the foot, and it will be understood that when engaged with the button 10, the body 7 will be held tightly against the heel portion of the shoe, as will-the archsupport 9 therewith. The body 7 may be stamped or cut from a single piece of material if desired or it may be made in two or more pieces stitched together as to form the complete body of proper shape and size. In instances where the body is formed of two pieces, these pieces are preferably cut so as to meet at the rear of theshoe, stitching 12 connecting the meeting edges,-and the arch straps or the arch of the shoe. It will thus be seen that the support need not be rendered objectionable in appearance by having lines of stitching in prominent conspicuous places thereon.

In Figure 2 of the drawing a slight modithe button. The members 13, 14 and 15 are provided in addition to the instep strap 11,

whereby the body 7 is not only more securely held in proper position upon the shoe,

but an eflicient ankle reinforce is provided.

Furthermore, the device so constructed adds to the appearance of the foot and would make it appear to transform the slipper into a strapped shoe.

Figure 3 shows a further development of the device shown in Figure 2, wherein the extension 13 projects further up the rear of the leg and is provided with a pair of strap members 16 to pass around the ankle and to be engaged by the buttons 10 as shown. This construction provides a further reinforce for the ankle and changes materially the appearance of the foot.

In Figure 4 there is shown a further modification wherein the body 7 is adaptable either to heeled shoes or maybe used in connection with shoes without heels such as are used in fancy dancing. In this instance, the extension 13 at the rear body is provided with a loop 17, to receive therelatively long tape 18 secured at one end to one forward upper edge of body 7 This tape passes from its point of connection with the body upwardly and diagonally across the instep, around the ankle by being passed through loop 17 and then down and forwardly in a diagonal direction crossing itself upon the instep and being secured at its free end to button 10 on the body 7 opposite to the point of permanent connection of the tape or strap 18 therewith.

In Figure 5 there is a further development of the device illustrated in Figure 4, and wherein tabs or straps 19 20 extend outwardly in opposite direct-ions from extension 13 at the rear of the body, one of said straps 20 passing forwardly and down wardly across the instep and being buttoned as at 10 to the forward portion of the body 7 upon one side of the foot, while the other tab 19 is buttoned to a tab 21 extending upwardly and forwardly from the opposite forward edge of the body 7. The straps or tapes 1920-21 in this form of the invention pass around the ankle and'cross each other at the instep.

In carrying out the invention, the body portions or straps or both may be formed of any preferred material, may be made of various sizes, may be colored to be adaptable and to harmonize with the various shades of shoes to be worn, and may be decorated or not with fancy work as desired. It is preferred that the edges of the body and tapes or straps be suitably bound so as to present a neat and attractive appearance and to obviate the presence of any rough or uneven edges .of the body or strap material. Further, the strap members referred to in connection with the various types of the invention may be elastic or inelastic as preferred, and buttons, clasps, snap fasteners or any other desired or preferred securing elements may be used in connection with the support for holding the various parts thereof in proper position upon the shoe and foot.

In all forms of the invention herein disclosed it will be noted that the upper edge of the body 7 is designed to aline with the upper edge of the shoe counter and that the lower edge of the body '7, which defines and forms the enclosing wall of the opening 7, is designer to terminate just below the bulge or protuberance of the counter and is constructed and arranged to extend continuously in a substantially horizontal plane inwardly under the same, as at 7, and is shaped to conform to the base of the shoe counter. This inturned portion 7 accordingly serves, when the support is fitted in position, the double function of, first, lapping over and concealing the joint between the body 7 and the shoe heel, giving the semblance of said body 7 forming an in tegral part of the shoe upper, i. e., the counter itself, which in this case is an outer or false counter, and, secondly, the portion 7, by its bearing under the protuberance of the heel, provides a retaining engagement between the support and the shoe itself, preventing the support from sliding up and exposing the joint, or causing wear and tear by rubbing contact with the counter, in the flexing movements of the shoe due to bending motions of the foot. By this means a support for ladies lowquarter shoes, dancing slippers or other simil'ar fine footwear is provided which snugly its the shoe and is held from shifting movements thereon and which, in fact, appears to be a component part of the shoe and does not detract from its fine or artistic appearance. Moreover, the device, being held securely in position, allows intricate movements of the foot, such as in dancing, without shifting its posit-ion and rubbing and causing undue wear upon the delicate fabric or leather used in the construction of slippers and the like of the most orna mental type or finest and costliest grade. In these respects my invention differs essentially from the supports commonly em ployed for fastening skates or the like upon the foot, or from protectors extending down upon the back of the heel to protect the counter and heel from wear in certain specific uses, and which are not suitable for use for the purpose of this invention. 7

While the foregoing is a description of the invention in its preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various changes in the construction and arrangement may be resorted to if desired without departing from the invention asdefined by the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

1. A support for womens low shoes, etc., of that type having a counter with a protuberance overhanging the shoe heel, said support comprising a body conformable to the shoe counter and approximately equal in length and depth therewith and constructed to extend around said counter and forwardly on opposite sides thereof to a point in alinement with the shoe shank and in advance of the breast of the shoe heel, said support having its upper edge designed to lie in alinement with the upper edge of the counter and having its lower edge to terminate just below the protuberance of the counter and approximately in line with the top of the heel, said lower edge of the support constructed and arranged to extend continuously in a substantially horizontal plane inwardly under the counter and in snug engagement with the base thereof and beneath and across the shoe shank adjacent to the heel breast, whereby the support will be held from upward displacement on the shoe and is shaped so as to conform to the outline of the shoe counter to appear to be a unitary part of said counter, and means for securing said body upon the shoe to hold it from downward displacement.

2. A support for womens low-quarter shoes, slippers and the like comprising a body conformable to the counter of the shoe and approximately equal in length and depth therewith and constructed to extend around the same and forwardly on opposite sides thereof to a point in alinement with the shoe shank and in advance of the breast of the shoe heel, said support having an inwardly curved lower edge portion arranged to underlie the base of the shoe counter at its point of juncture with the heel and extend around said counter base and across the shoe shank adjacent to the heel breast, said inwardly curved bottom edge portion defining the enclosing marginal wall of a circular opening through which the heel may project and which will snugly enclose the upper portion of the heel and overlap the space between the shoe counter and heel so as to give a unitary appearance to said support body and shoe portions while engaging the base of the heel to hold the support from upward movement and prevent any exposure of the shoe counter and unsightly gap between said body and heel, said body being formed of two sections having united rear meeting edges and united tabs extending from said sections and forming the transverse portion of the marginal wall of the opening extending across the breast of the heel and beneath and across the shoe shank, and means for securing said body upon the shoe.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. GRACE E. BRIGGS. 

